Abstract Detail

Genetics/Molecular Biology

Herr, Joshua [1], Geib, Scott [2], Scully, Erin [3], Tien, Ming [4], Geiser, David M. [5], Hoover, Kelli [6], Carlson, John E. [7].

The genome sequence of a Fusarium solani isolate from the gut of the Asian Longhorned Beetle provides insight into fungal-insect associations, supernumerary chromosomes, and the breakdown of lignocellulose.

The Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) is a wood-boring invasive beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) that has already caused considerable tree mortality across Northeastern North America and whose range is spreading.  Numerous independent enzymatic and proteomic studies have shown that the beetle is able to break down lignin in woody plant tissue due to a suite of microbes that the beetle harbors.  Culture-independent microbial analysis of the insect gut revealed a consistent association between an isolate of the Fusarium solani species complex and operational taxonomic unit (OTU)-based analyses suggested that genetic variance was low among the A. glabripennis-associated Fusarium isolates.  A single spore isolate was made, grown on carnation-leaf agar, and extracted DNA was sequenced using both the Roche 454 and Illumina MiSeq platforms.  The genome of this Fusarium solani isolate corresponds closely to the genome of Nectria haematacocca (sequenced teleomorph) is approximately 50 Mb in length across 17 chromosomes.  Much of the gene structure between the two fungi is syntenous, while it appears that a high level of variation occurs in the supernumerary chromosomes.  As with the genome of Nectria, the supernumerary chromosomes of this undescribed Fusarium isolate contain a large degree of repeated regions, gene content, and a lower G+C content than other chromosomal regions.  It is possible that virulence regions, genes affecting fecundity, or genes allowing for adaptation to new ecosystems or hosts may be present across the supernumerary chromosomes. 

1 - Michigan State University, Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, 191 Food Safety & Toxicology Building, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48823, United States
2 - USDA-ARS Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research Unit , 64 Nowelo Street, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
3 - The Pennsylvania State University, , Intercollege Program in Genetics at The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
4 - The Pennsylvania State University, , Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
5 - Penn State Univ, Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, 121 Buckhout Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
6 - The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Entomology and Center for Chemical Ecology, , University Park, PA, 16802, USA
7 - The Pennsylvania State University, School of Forest Resources, , University Park, PA, 16802, USA

Keywords:
insect symbiont
comparative genomics
phylogenomics
Fusarium
NGS (next-generation sequencing).

Presentation Type: Offered Paper - Paper
Session: 12
Location: Room 104 AB/Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center
Date: Tuesday, June 10th, 2014
Time: 10:45 AM
Number: 12002
Abstract ID:208
Candidate for Awards:None